Here’s an in-depth, “Mets Junkies style” grade and narrative for Kodai Senga’s 2025 campaign — strengths, weaknesses, and how it fits into his Mets legacy.

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Senga’s 2025 Snapshot

Let’s start with the bare numbers and context:

Over 22 starts, Senga posted a 7-6 record with a 3.02 ERA and 109 strikeouts.

He was sidelined by a hamstring strain beginning June 12, which interrupted what had been a dominant first half.

After returning from injury, his performance declined, and eventually the Mets optioned him to Triple-A in September amid a stretch of rough outings.

Per Statcast/advanced metrics, his batted-ball data showed some red flags: hard-hit rate near ~40 %, barrel rate ~6–8 %, and a decent WHIP (with “sticky” contact).

These numbers set the stage for what was a roller-coaster season.

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How 2025 Compares to Expectations & Peers

When Senga arrived in New York, expectations were high. After a brilliant 2023 rookie season, fans wanted consistency, health, and an “ace” presence. In 2025:

His ERA of 3.02 is respectable in today’s game, especially considering his injury. It’s not elite, but not mediocre.

The 109 Ks over 22 starts is lower than his 2023 strikeout pace (202 Ks in 2023), suggesting some decline in missing bats.

The injury and inconsistency in the second half hurt his overall value and trust.

The fact that the Mets demoted him in September — in a playoff race — is a major black mark in evaluating his season’s narrative.

So by comparison: he did better than a back-of-the-rotation fill-in, but fell short of being a frontline, unstoppable ace.

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Strengths & High Points

1. Dominant early stretch
Before going on the IL, Senga was arguably leading the league in ERA, pitching like a stud.  He delivered several high-quality starts: shutouts, deep innings, control.

2. Pitching craft & command
He still showed flashes of his pitch mix working, control, and sequencing. Opponents struggled to square up on some outings; he was never completely “dead in the water.” Advanced metrics don’t hate him.

3. Resilience and character
Coming back after injury, dealing with inconsistency, and still managing to log 22 starts is not trivial. For a pitcher with injury history, that’s something.

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Weaknesses & Lowlights

1. Injuries derailed momentum
The hamstring issue isn’t a small thing for a pitcher — it hurt his conditioning, mechanics, and possibly long-term durability.

2. Decline in second half / loss of dominance
After the injury, his explosiveness faltered, and results slipped. The Mets eventually lost confidence, and opting him to Triple-A in September is evidence.

3. Strikeout drop & more hittable contact
Compared to his rookie year, the drop in strikeout rate and the somewhat high hard-hit / barrel numbers tell a story of too many “live” at-bats when he couldn’t dominate.

4. Inconsistency & timing
In a playoff race, having your presumed ace struggle late (and even get demoted) is damaging to team morale and bullpen load.

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Grade & Justification: 78 / 100

Breakdown (out of 100):

Performance (ERA, innings, Ks): 25 / 30

Durability & availability: 15 / 20

Impact in big games / reliability: 14 / 20

Consistency / second-half resilience: 10 / 15

Intangibles / upside: 4 / 5

Why 78?

A 78 counts as “above average / good but not great.” Senga’s 2025 was mixed — high peaks, frustrating valleys.

He showed why he was signed, but also exposed vulnerabilities. The injury was the key turning point.

If healthy and locked-in, he still has front-of-rotation upside; but 2025 was more of a “stepping stone year” than a statement.

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What This Means for His Mets Future & 2026 Outlook

– Senga must prove he can rebound post-injury, especially in the second half stretch.

– Maintaining or regaining his strikeout punch will be crucial — the Mets need him to be a true “ace,” not just a solid mid-tier starter.

– The demotion in September may loom over his confidence; how he responds will be telling.

– If 2026 sees more stability, deeper starts, and fewer falters, he can climb toward elite status again.

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Bottom line is that 2025 was not a disaster, but it was far from a breakout. Senga gave us glimpses of brilliance and flashes of struggle.

He showed resilience, but the injury and late-season meltdown cost him full marks.

A 78/100 feels fair — a solid, above-average season that sets the stage (if all goes well) for better things to come.